“Soil health is the next frontier in agricultural sustainability,” said Nick Goeser, director of SHP, an initiative of the National Corn Growers Association. “Restoring organic matter through practices like growing cover crops will help soil sequester more carbon while making it more resistant to drought, and more resilient to floods. These are important goals worldwide as the population grows.”

With more than 65 farm sites already enrolled in nine Midwestern states, the SHP is the leader in field-scale testing and measuring of management practices that improve soil health. These practices include growing cover crops to prevent erosion and nutrient losses, implementing conservation tillage like no-till or strip-till, and using advanced, science-based nutrient management techniques to reduce nutrient loss.